Morehead City or Hatteras?

[jl_va_21]

I"m planning on doing some diving in NC, this summer and starting to work out my travel plans. I'll also be with my family (though I'm the only diver) which makes me think that Hatteras might be the better vacation spot overall, but it seems like almost everything you read about NC diving points to Morehead City. My top priority is seeing sharks. All things being equal, I'd prefer to do that in warm water with good vis and little current (if only I had a magic wand). After sharks, seeing cool and/or historic wrecks would be nice, but that is second to sharks at this point I think.

So my question is - which place is likely to be the better choice? My current thinking is that we'll vacation in Hatteras, but I'll stop for a day at Morehead City to dive there. Not sure if I can afford both places.

Beyond that, if you have any other NC first timer travel tips, let me know.

Thanks!

 

[fireflock]

They both have reliable shark wrecks during the summer.

Are you looking for an end of the road kind of place, or something with a little more in terms of amenities?

If your family wants to hang out on the beach, Hatteras is a great place to be. If they might enjoy places like the Aquarium, Beaufort, or Fort Macon, then Morehead City could be your choice.

If you're in Hatteras, I would dive Hatteras, and vice versa. If you only plan to dive on one or two days out of the week, diving where you are staying will also let you adjust plans based on weather, etc...

Oh yeah, call the Morehead area Atlantic Beach or the Crystal Coast when pitching the idea to non-divers. I think those names get more press in the tourist literature.

 

[NJMike]

I'm hoping to do a trip down there this year too. My plan will be Morehead City, and first goal is U-352.

If plans go well, do 5 days of 2 tank morning dives. I tried to get the family to go last year but they couldn't agree on anything, so I may just go by myself this time.

I'm thinking, maybe the week of June 22.

 

[Tortuga James]

Oh yeah, call the Morehead area Atlantic Beach or the Crystal Coast when pitching the idea to non-divers. I think those names get more press in the tourist literature.

That is a good point. Morehead City is a port town and the beaches are on Bogue Shores (Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll shores, Indian Beach, etc.) which is a barrier island and has ocean beaches. A comparison for you Jersey folks would be Morehead is Manahawkin and Bogue Shores (The Crystal Coast) is like Long Beach Island.

 

[diveonthefive]

The water off of Morehead and Beaufort will be warmer than off of Hatteras. Most of the wrecks out of Beaufort Inlet will have sharks on them.

For the ones that don't dive, there is Fort Macon, a civil war fort that has been restored on Atlantic Beach. The Maritime Museum in Beaufort has a lot of history of ships and has a Blackbeard exhibit. The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will let the non-divers experience what you get to see. These are just a few things that can be done in addition to diving.

 

[JayJudge]

I'm hoping to do a trip down there this year too. My plan will be Morehead City, and first goal is U-352.

If plans go well, do 5 days of 2 tank morning dives. I tried to get the family to go last year but they couldn't agree on anything, so I may just go by myself this time.

I'm thinking, maybe the week of June 22.

Well,
just to set things a bit staighter, in Morehead there are no 2 tank morning dive trips that are similar to Carribean stuff. The run to the good (offshore) wrecks is around 2 hours each way, most boats leave between 6 and 7 am, returning early afternoon. Not to say you don't already know this, more if anyone is reading it and starts thinking they will be back at the dock before noon.
-J

 

[NJMike]

Nah, I knew that. That's just two hours of relaxing time to BS with the other divers!

 

[jscott099]

I live here in NC and have been to both locations many times (and used to live on Atlantic Beach/Morehead City). Quite honestly you can just flip a coin and be quite happy with either choice. Both are fantastic vacation spots for the family, similar beaches, aquariums nearby, Hatteras does have lighthouses. It's hard to go wrong. Be aware that getting from Hatteras to MC is a longer journey than it looks. The diving from both is great and during the summer months you'll find little difference. You should note that viz and current change daily depending on the dive site. What was diveable yesterday may be bad today. It's the nature of the place. If you keep your mind open to anything you will be much happier. I've seen so many people come down from far away expecting to tell the Cap to go to the sub. It really depends on the conditions of the day. Some, but not all wrecks will have the Sand Tigers. They do move around but tend to favor certain wrecks more than others. The weather plays havoc on diving. Bring your pills as it is more rare to have flat seas than not. If you come expecting at least one potential blowout day, you will have more fun than assuming every day is perfect. Nitrox and computer are desirable of course as many of the dives are in excess of 80 ft with several in the 100 - 120 range. I do know that the MC/Beaufort charters often run afternoon dives to near shore and shallower wrecks. It is possible you could get three a day in or if you had folks that need a shorter ride and shallower dives. Be sure to call up and book your dives ahead of time. In the summmer the charters fill up rapidly, especially on the weekends. Have fun, maybe I'll see you out there?

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Speaking very generally, IMHO the diving out of Morehead City/Beaufort Inlet was around 10 degrees warmer in the water than the Hatteras wrecks we dove, and I definitely saw more sand tiger sharks on the wrecks further out in the gulf stream. Both Hatteras and MC/B have good diving, and in some cases the charters visit the same wrecks. From my perspective, though, there were more restaurants in the Morehead City area. This is important in summer when the lines can get long. And the above poster was correct when they said that slots on the boats fill up quickly especially on weekends. You will find more flexibility if you can go diving during weekdays, especially during the summer peak season.

There are a number of useful threads on the diving options, housing options, etc. in this area. I will try to find some of the other posts, and encourage you to do some searches as well.

Best,

Doc

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Here are some additional threads on the topic:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...dations-family-dive-vacation.html#post3988123


http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-ny/258794-nc-trip-may-2009-graveyard-atlantic-5.html

See Post #205 on the last page of posts…

Hope these help with your planning,

Doc